FDA issues urgent recall of more cheese products sold in 11 states over fears of contamination with deadly bacteria

Nearly 18,000 cases of cream cheese and sour cream products sold at Walmart and local stores are being recalled over fears they could be contaminated with a deadly bacteria.

Wisconsin-based Saputo Cheese USA issued the warning for nearly 18,000, including cottage cheese sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand and sour cream and cottage cheese sold under the brand Clover Sonoma. 

The Great Value cottage cheeses include zero percent, two percent and four percent milkfat and were sold in 6oz, 8oz, 12oz, 16oz, 24oz and 3lbs plastic tubs.

Clover Sonoma-branded sour cream and low-fat cottage cheeses were on shelves in 8oz, 12oz, 16oz and 24oz tubs.

The products were pulled from shelves across 11 states, mostly in the southern and western areas of the country. They have best-before dates up to April 17, 2026.

The recall was ordered because the cheeses were not properly pasteurized, when they are heated to 161F (72C) for 15 seconds to kill pathogens such as E.coli, which can cause a fatal infection.

Officials said the pasteurizing machine used by the company had a broken seal, suggesting the products may not have been heated to the right temperature to kill bacteria that may be lurking within them.

There is no evidence that any of the products contained bacteria. No illnesses, hospitalizations or fatalities have been linked to the recall.

The recall was first revealed in late February, but on Wednesday, the FDA updated the recall to a Class II, indicating a ‘situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote’.

No guidance has been issued for people who purchased the products, but consumers are typically told to throw out the cheeses or return them to stores for a full refund.

Officials are concerned the products may still be in refrigerators. Anyone who believes they fell sick after consuming the cottage cheese or sour cream should contact their local health authorities.  

Unpasteurized dairy products may be contaminated with a wide range of pathogens, also including salmonella and listeria, because, during extraction, they can also become contaminated with the feces of animals.

Warning signs of an infection include diarrhea, vomiting and, in serious cases, a life-threatening complication called sepsis.

In the recall, revealed on the FDA’s website, officials said the issue with the pasteurization machine was detected by inspectors from the California Department of Agriculture.

The 11 states affected are: Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

At Walmart, the recalled products included Great Value Fat Free Cottage Cheese Small Curd zero percent Milkfat, which had a UPC code, found under the barcode, of 0 78742 37339 3.

They also included Great Value Low-fat Cottage Cheese Small Curd two percent Milkfat, with the UPC 0 78742 11673 0, and Great Value Cottage Cheese Small Curd four percent Milkfat, with the UPC 0 78742 37235 8.

The Clover Sonoma-branded cheeses that were recalled were Cottage Cheese Low Fat two percent Milkfat, with the UPC 0 70852 54400 7 and 0 70852 54200 3, and the brand’s Sour Cream, with the UPC codes 0 70852 61800 5 and 0 70852 61500 4.

The latest notice is a reduction from the recall in February, which said the cheeses were being recalled from 24 states, also including Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,, Montana, Oregon, Texas and Tennessee.